This is not a technology tip but a valuable set of recommendations around "teaching" grammar authentically which reinforces teaching it as an integrated part of writing workshop. In fact, sentence fixing isnot effectivefor several reasons. First, we want to show our students examples of good writing, not bad writing! Second, it’s not engaging. Third, research shows that using sentence fixing activities does not result in students applying these same skills in their own writing, which is the standard we wish to reach in all aspects of writing.
Students need to see examples of good grammar, good use of capitalization, and good punctuation, and they need opportunities to apply these skills to their own writing. We need to point out how and why published authors choose punctuation marks in the context of real texts. We need to talk to them about why published authors follow grammar rules and what effect it has on us, as readers. And we also need to give our kids opportunities to go try out grammatical structures, different punctuation, and capitalization in their own writing. Basically, kids need to see and use grammar in real contexts. It does not favor teaching fix-up strategies in isolation which Daily Oral Language promotes. Five Recommendations for Teaching Common Core Grammar to Elementary Students
General Information and Resources
DPI website containing links to all content areasDisciplinary Literacy LiveBinder
Disciplinary Literacy in Social Studies
Doug Buehl's Customizing Strategies for Disciplinary Literacy
Content Area Reading passages
ReadWorksTween Tribune
Elementary passages by grade level 1-6
Achieve the Core Close Reading model lessons
Reading passages
Non-fiction one page reading passages by grade level
Fiction one page reading passages by grade level
42Explore
Time for Kids
Wonderopolis
National Geographic Young Explorers
Sports Illustrated for Kids
Teachers College Reading and Writing Project – text sets in science and social studies
Grammar Information
This is not a technology tip but a valuable set of recommendations around "teaching" grammar authentically which reinforces teaching it as an integrated part of writing workshop. In fact, sentence fixing is not effective for several reasons. First, we want to show our students examples of good writing, not bad writing! Second, it’s not engaging. Third, research shows that using sentence fixing activities does not result in students applying these same skills in their own writing, which is the standard we wish to reach in all aspects of writing.
Students need to see examples of good grammar, good use of capitalization, and good punctuation, and they need opportunities to apply these skills to their own writing. We need to point out how and why published authors choose punctuation marks in the context of real texts. We need to talk to them about why published authors follow grammar rules and what effect it has on us, as readers. And we also need to give our kids opportunities to go try out grammatical structures, different punctuation, and capitalization in their own writing. Basically, kids need to see and use grammar in real contexts.
It does not favor teaching fix-up strategies in isolation which Daily Oral Language promotes.
Five Recommendations for Teaching Common Core Grammar to Elementary Students